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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1986)
Page 2, Portland Observer, April 9. 1986 k» Healthwatch EDITORIAL/OPINION Stevenson Case Should Be Reinvestigated The death o f l.loyd D. Stevenson should he reinvestigated by the Multnomah County District Attorney's O ffice A new investigation is in order, due to new evidence against two o f the officers involved in the A pril 20, 1985 death o f Mr. Stevenson. Il was revealed recently that officer Bruce Pantley lied under oath about his educational background Evidence from court transcripts re vealed that in May and July o f 1984 officer Pantley stated that he had a Master's degree in Economics from Princeton University. But after a Portland attorney checked with Princeton officials concern ing Pantley *s claim, records from Princeton shows no indication that he received a Master’ s from the university. Pantley made the statements about having an Economic Degree from Princeton, while testifying in a suit that was brought against him and officer Gary Barbour by a black man The man alleged that the two officers hit him on the head with a flashlight and applied the sleeper hold on him in Oct. 1983. These new charges against the two officers raise more suspicions about the incidents which led to Stevenson’ s death Firs, is the creditability o f Pan,ley's testimony during the grand jury proce dure about Stevenson's death Both Pantley and Barbour stated during the in quest that the sleeper hold was applied to Steven son by Barbour after Stevenson struck Pantley This version was disputed by several eyewitnesses who were present at the scene o f the incident. Witnesses at the inquest hearing stated that at no time did Stevenson strike any o f the officers. If Pantley lied under oath by stating he possesses a master’ s degree from a prestigious Ivy league university, is it possible that he could lie about the death o f an innocent man? Secondly, during the Stevenson episode, no, a single word was made public about the allegations against both Pantley and Barbour regarding the excessive use o f force by the two officers. Such information should have been brought out in the open. For it shows a pattern o f the misconduct by the officers During (he inquest hearing witnesses stated they tried to tell the officers lha, Stevenson was a peacemaker, bu, they refused to listen and applied the fatal hold on him Those who follow the Police Internal Audi, Committee <P llA C ) are aware o f the fact that the committee has reported on several occasions, through it's monitor report, that a small group o f officers account^ for the majority of all complaints, and that a pattern ol misconduct by the officers has been documented. Many citizens in Portland, believed Stevenson was murdered and that justice wasn't served when the grand jury did not indict any o f the officers involved in the death ol Stevenson Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk should reopen the case if the allegations against Pantley and Barbour are true The Federal Deficit & Gramm-Rudman-Hollings By Governor Pi» Ativeh fiscal terrorism, sort o f like putting Colonel Khadafy in charge of the federal budge, office I am among those who dislike Gramm-Rudman- Hollings, bu, I do support cutting the deficit even if this is the way we must do it. Please remember: Even if Gramm-Rudman- llollm gs cuts deficit spending to zero in five years, the national debt still w ill grow to $2 trillio n I ask you to keep two things in mind firs t, if Uncle Sam provides less money, we also must insist he also loosen up on costly federal restrictions Also, in cutting the budget, federal officials should review all budget items, sparing defense spending Irom which Oregon receives lit tie benefit, w ill result hi deeper cuts hi such Hems as forestry research and local block grants that do help Oregon Second, although Congress is only now getting around to cutting, you need Itxtk no further than Salem and other state capitals to find budget balancing solutions Last year. 17 states were forced to rebalance their budgets Since 1980, I have called lour legis lative special sessions to rebalance Oregon’ s state budget In 1982, I wrote a six page letter to federal budget Director David Stockman detailing how Oregon had sopped up its own budgetary red ink I suggested our solutions could be used in Washington. .Among these solutions were establishing user Ices, increasing earnings by managing money bel ter. using more volunteers, delaying the “ desira b le " to preserve the “ necessary.'' Meanwhile, I w ill keep that flyer Irom the tax payers' group and hope the next time I receive one, it w ill report progress in cutting the deficit A $1 4 trillion national debt, far from being used to buy. develop or expand Oregon, can only jeopardize the security o f Oregonians' jobs and threaten the prosperity o f Oregon’ s communities Several days ago I received a flyer addressed to my home on Winter Street in Salem Il came from a taxpayers' group in Washington, D C , and it said the SI 4 trillio n national debt works ou, to $18,600 for each o f the nation’ s 80-m illion taxpayers. Let me give you another way to look a, that debt: Rased on the values declared on the county asses sors' tax rolls, $1.4 trillio n would be enough to buy all taxable property in Oregon 16 times Those are reasons both the President and Con gress wan, to cu, federal deficits, and why the names Gramm, Rudman and Rollings have be come household words But if deficit reduction js good for the economic health o f America, it is crucial to the future o f Oregon. Most stales have calculated what the cuts would mean to programs but, so far as I know, only Oregon has figured wha, w ill happen if the federal budge, is no, balanced. I asked state economists to project how con tinued $200 -billion-a-year federal deficits would affect Oregon This is what they told me: — Interest rates would rise in 1987, bhxking business investment and home construction like W illia m Perry blocks a quarterback — By early 1988, the nation would slide helplessly back into recession — By the end o f 1989, the personal income o f Oregonians would fall by $550 m illio n, also cut ting taxes and eroding needed public services — Finally, Oregonians would lose IK.000 jobs, mostly in manufacturing, high technology, and lumber and wtxxl products None o f us wants a replay ol the economic bud times we have jus, suffered Therefore. cutting the deficit must be near the tepof the w ish lists we give to holders ami seekers o f federal office Is the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law the ans wer? Some say its deep cuts constitute a kind o f by Slevtn Bailey N. D. As candidates begin their primary campaigns for state house and senate positions I've been meeting with many o f our future legislators While the sales tax w ill once again be a major issue, I hear that insurance reform w ill be one o f this session's biggest concerns. The major debate thus far is in the area o f medical mal practice insurance The problems with the current insurance prac tices are numerous and the exact concerns vary depending on whose subjective argument you lis ten to. To the Oregon Medical Association, the problem lies in the tort-court awards and the O .M .A w ill seek to lim it “ pain and suffering" aw ards and decrease the percentage o f awards that lawyers may claim To (he Rainbow Health Task Force the problem is no, the award size, but the basic structure o f insurance practices The Task Force feels that changes in the insurance industry are more appropriate legislative objectives. It is clear that we need change. We cannot le, outrageous liability premiums force doctors out of their field o f practice, nor can we tolerate a future w here doctors and hospitals go without insurance Bu, are the above two solutions the only way to ease the crisis? The liability issue is not a problem tha, w ill go away with one or two simple changes We have a hugeous society« eager to sue at the drop-of-a-hat We may never return to a society tha, is free o f this eager to sue attitude, and (he large awards and shared profits by lawyers adds to the problem But patients need the right to redress gross mal practice Limitations on awards must no, prohibit fair settlements, and decreased incentive for lawyers may act primarily as a dctcrant o f the ability for the indigent to be protected One o f the major issues that has arisen in recent years is the subject o f “ informed consent". It is d ifficult for lay persons to be fully informed in matters o f medicine, and the courts are being forced to decide what information must he told to patients We see major controversy in the area of adverse effects from medications W ith 30,000 Americans dying yearly from the adverse reactions to medications we see a major area o f liability concern What is the responsibility o f the physician to inform the patient of common reactions to medi cations? Years ago federal law began requiring tha, all prescription drugs be accompanied with a fact sheet on the medication and its actions This is the only information required and is often the only information given Is this enough? Can most lay persons understand the medical terminology o f these fact sheets? (i.e. tennitis is ringing o f the ears, digsphagia is disturbed appetite etc ) It is clear that most people consume their prescription without full knowledge o f their potential and regu lar side effects. Possibly one solution to mal practice concerns would be requiring physicians to verbally counsel their patients as to the major side effects (i.e. with an incidence o f 5 or greater). Most legislators are surprised that this doesn't already happen We can expect as great a resistance to this idea as there was to the federal law requiring that written informa tion be included in prescription medicine Bu, we as consumers deserve to know the risks o f the drugs we are told to consume Shouldn't we know if I in 15 people get a more serious condition from the drug than the condition they are being treated for? Clearly it is no, just a court and insurance prob lem that is raising malpractice rates. Maybe our lawmakers need to concentrate on making medicine safer, not lim iting the recourse o f the consumer Whose Peace: Reagan’s or Contadora s /•» l'liillip Hi h m ih iii In arguing lor sending $100 m illion in weajxws and other aid lo the Nieaiaguun contras, President Reagan and his supporters claim lhai nothing less than ihe security of the hemisphere is ai stake His up,xincnls are alraid lhai hacking Ihe president ssill lead indirect American military interven tion they advtX'alc giving negolialion one Iasi chance Hui who should negoliale and over whal ’ The If S posi lion, echoed by many in Congress and Ihe media is lhai ihe Nicaraguan government must negoliale directly w uh ihe con tras bn power sharing and new eleeixins I lx- SUM) m illion serves as hoth suck and carrot lo gel ihem to agree lo accept lhai formula I he likelihood of such negotiations, however, is ml In his lesiiuxiny to ihe W m id Court in ihe Hague. Edgar Chamorro, who worked with the Nicaraguan Denxtcraiic forces, ihe largest contra group, for alnxisl lour years, said that Ihe oigam/alion was "crealed by Ihe C I A . il was supplied equipped, armed and trained by the C I A and Us activities boih political and military were directed and controlled by Ihe C I A " Conira terror against civilians is well documented Ihe Nicaraguan government has made il clear lhai I w ill not negoliale with the contras I he Conladota counlrx-s. Mexico, Venezuela. Colombia, and Panama, have a dillerenl idea ol negolialion Their ,x*ace plan aims lo eliminate any extra-regional m ilitary presence and any support lor subversion from one country lo another II Contadora were pul into el,eel ihe live Central American counlnes (Guatemala. I I Salvador. Honduras. Nicaragua and Cosla Rica I would be bound lo I lim it Iheir Hoops and arms io agreed ujvon levels; 2. prohibit foreign military ad visors. training, bases, maneuvers, or arms shipments: .3 refrain Irom supporting subversion or terrorism in other countries they would also agree lo allow a multi nation monitoring commission access io sites ol alleged violations these provisxms dealing with security measures form ihe heart o f Contadora The Contadora plan has been cralled expressly ,o meet U S concerns about a Soviet or Cuban military presence in Ihe region and alleged Nicaraguan support lor insurgencies in other counlnes Although the Reagan administration gives lip service to Contadora, in practice il has blocked it In October I9K4. an internal menu» ol the National Security Council gloated. "W e have effectively blocked Contadora group efforts to impose the second draft ol the Rev ised Contadora Act, after Nicaragua had accepted it In his Sunday March 16, 1986 addrss on Central America, the president did not even men lion Contadora The reason for the administration's rejection o f Contadora is no mystery its provisions would apply noi only lo Ihe Soviet Union, Cuba and Nicaragua, but lo Ihe United Slates as well A Contadora agreement would prohibit Ihe U S from holding maneuvers, having m ilitary bases, and sending advisors, arms or ammunition lo the region Nor could any contras ope,ale out ol Honduras, hacked and supplied by the U S If implemented. Contadora would spell the end o f present U S policy The U S would satisfy its security concerns, but it could not use military might lo impose its w ill over the region In other words, il could noi use military force lo "re sliu ctu ie " the Sandmista government On February 7, the foreign ministers o f Ihe Contadora countries, plus the minister» of Ihe Contadora support group (B ra zil, Argentina. Uruguay, and Peru,, came lo Washington lo meet w uh Secretary o f Stale Shultz lo urge lhai Ihe II S not send aid lo the contras and lhai it negotiate seriously with Nicaragua Other l-aiin American and West European goveniments are virtually unanimous in their sup port lor Ihe Contadora approach W hv is the Contadora proposal sodillerent from what the U S is pursuing ’ The greatest fear ol Latin American gov emments is not a potential Soviet threat What they tear most is ever-growing U S involvement in a region-wide war, bringing death, destruction, and instability lo Iheir dixtrsleps President Reagan ended his March 16 televised speech w ith an ominous warning that he had only "three more years to work l<w peace He then asked whether there could be "any greater tragedy lor us than lo sit back and permit this cancer (Nicaragua) lo spread II Ihe contras cannot bring such a "peace" and all serious observers agree they cannot — then President Reagan s logic points toward a direct U S wai against Nicaragua Which peace w ill be it be Ronald Reagan's or Contad ora'»? Phillip Hi nnimii u in n m lliin l mlh iht Inirm m l t rirmli Sen h e I miiiiiu le e hin iii'ihnliiil i iiiiul liiii'r iiiimlhm w m ieninn himhii>nihe reeiiet POWELL IS PORTLAND OBSERNER 115 lo» o n * * » • ' t 25 to i tw o y « r s B ob 3137 Portland 0 « 97201 I I C s Apt ClTV state S f s < Z Û .« - M ic H S ? 3 p. T J> 3J t*I > -, * 6 ZIP Portland Observer •ZIMII » i * a»»' " '» I., Th . Avrtom i rznwrwr (USPS • .aitW w rt w w y Thurrtay by ia » Conosny, toc . ’ « 3 N t KAngt worth PortWod Orason »721115»» O rte . Bo. 3,37. Portland Oao<». 9 7 2 » Second d a x poetage patd a, Portland Orason The /Xvitexd (Marreer wea eaiaManed in ,»70 Subacnpnont ItSOO pa. year a» It» Tn County atea m eato. Sand addroaa changea w» * » A xtíand Ohwvvw. P O MEMBER AttoeiHofi • FounOad 288 0033 Bo. 3137, Portend. Oregon » 7 3 » r»»S Alfred L. Henderson. Editor/Publisher AI Williams. General Manager National Advertising Rapraeantatlve A m algam ated Publisher». Inc N ew Vorh ^INTERRAI m »
